韩国对美国“印太战略”的认知与政策

韩国认为,特朗普政府提出的"印太战略"深受日本安倍政府的影响,其主要目的在于拉拢从太平洋到印度洋区域内的国家共同围堵中国。由于这个反华企图,再加上特朗普政府推行"美国优先"政策等,导致该区域内其他国家不愿完全追随美国,所以特朗普任内很难落实"印太战略"。在此认知和判断下,2017年5月上台的文在寅政府开始明确拒绝支持"印太战略"。随着美国白宫、国防部和国务院相关报告的出台,美国推进"印太战略"的意志日益强烈,要求韩国参加"印太战略"的压力也越来越大。与此同时,韩国越来越需要美国协助解决朝核问题和调解韩日矛盾,再加上中韩关系逐渐恢复,所以韩国最终决定用其"新南方政策""对接"美国的"印太战略"。韩国一再强调,此举不是"加入印太战略",而是以东盟为中心,仅围绕经济、治理以及非传统安全领域进行合作。这在很大程度上反映了文在寅政府的"均衡外交"理念和扮演"桥梁国家"角色的愿望。今后韩国如何进一步回应美国的要求,主要取决于未来韩国政权的性质、拜登政府推动"印太战略"的连续性,以及中美关系的变化等。但无论未来内外形势如何变化,韩国都会认识到中国和中韩关系的重要性,而不会一边倒地完全参与到旨在围堵中国的"印太战略"中去,而是有选择地支持与合作。

Republic of Korea's Cognition and Policy on the US Indo-Pacific Strategy

Republic of Korea believes that the Indo-Pacific strategy proposed by the Trump administration is deeply influenced by the Japanese Abe administration,and its main purpose is to draw Indo-Pacific countries to jointly contain China. Because of this anti-China attempt,coupled with the Trump administration’s "America First" policy,other countries in the region are reluctant to follow the United States completely,so it is difficult to implement the Indo-Pacific Strategy during Trump’s term. Based on this cognition and judgment,the Moon Jae-in government,which came to power in May 2017,clearly refused to support the Indo-Pacific Strategy at the beginning. With the release of relevant strategy reports from the US White House,the Department of Defense and the State Department,the United States has become increasingly determined to promote the Indo-Pacific Strategy,and the pressure for Republic of Korea to participate in the Indo-Pacific Strategy is also increasing. At the same time,Republic of Korea increasingly needs the help form the United States to resolve the DPRK nuclear issue and mediate the conflict between Republic of Korea and Japan.Coupled with the gradual restoration of Sino-ROK relations,Republic of Korea finally decided to use its new southern policy to cooperate with the US Indo-Pacific strategy. Republic of Korea has repeatedly emphasized that this move is not a "participation in the Indo-Pacific Strategy" and that it is centered on ASEAN and only cooperates in economic,governance,and non-traditional security areas. To a large extent,this reflects the Moon Jae-in government’s "balanced diplomacy" concept and the desire to play the role of "bridge country". In the future,how Republic of Korea will further respond to the demands of the United States depends mainly on the nature of the future Republic of Korean regime,the continuity of the Biden administration’s promotion of the "Indo-Pacific strategy",and changes in Sino-US relations. However,no matter how the internal and external situation changes in the future,Republic of Korea will recognize the importance of China and China-ROK relations,and will not fully participate in the IndoPacific strategy aimed at containing China,but will selectively support and cooperate.